Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Agreement on establishment of the European Unions Russian Party
• Discussion Decision-making and participation in the minority education policy
• Vesti Segodnya writes about proposal of the Peoples Party to expel Aleksandrs Kazakovs, organiser of the protest actions against the education reform
• Minister for Education and Science Juris Radzevics about the education reform
• Historian Leo Dribins about the situation of ethnic minorities in the EU and the necessity to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in Latvia
• Sociologist Aleksejs Snitnikovs on the future of Russians in Latvia
• Internet portal providing information about minority rights issues
• Commentary about the Saeima decision to authorise incrimination of administrative charges against the deputies Andris Tolmacovs, Jakovs Pliners and Vladimirs Buzajevs

Representatives of Russian diasporas from six European countries have signed an agreement on establishing of the European Union’s Russian Party. According to the leader of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia Tatjana Zdanoka, who has also signed the agreement, the new party will be established by the Russian minority representatives from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Cyprus and Norway.

Representatives of Russian diasporas from six European countries have signed an agreement on establishing of the European Unions Russian Party. According to the leader of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia Tatjana Zdanoka, who has also signed the agreement, the new party will be established by the Russian minority representatives from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Cyprus and Norway. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize writes about discussion Decision-making and participation in the minority education policy, organised by the Public Policy Centre PROVIDUS with the support of the embassy of Norway.

Vesti Segodnya writes about proposal of the Peoples Party to expel Aleksandrs Kazakovs, organiser of the protest actions against the education reform and assistant to Dmitry Rogozin, from Latvia. The newspaper quotes Russia State Councils deputy speaker Dmitry Rogozin, who believes that Kazakovss expulsion would result in a claim to the European Human Rights Court.

Vesti Segodnya features statements of the Minister for Education and Science Juris Radzevics about the education reform during discussion at the newspaper office. Juris Radzevics says that the ministry will provide special help for minority schools which are not ready for the reform implementation, and that at present ministrys professionals are working on the idea of creating terminology dictionaries on specific subjects. According to the minister, he is also planning to initiate state budget allocation for the Latvian language studies at the kindergartens. The ministry expects to open a centre of bilingual education in September 2004.

Diena prints an article by the Dr. hist. Leo Dribins about the situation of ethnic minorities in the EU and the necessity of ratifying the Councils of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Author points to the complicated minorities situation in Latvia and Estonia, because only in these European states minority population share exceeds 20%. Leo Dribins believes that Russian diplomatic tactics of dramatising issues of minority rights in the Baltic States and making it one of the main elements of the dialogue between Russia and the EU do not reflect real minority situation in the Baltic States. The author stresses that ratification would decrease pressure from Russias side, reinforce the EU position in the dialogue with Russia, and that at the same time it would be perceived positively by 40% of Latvian residents.

Chas features an article by sociologist Aleksejs Snitnikovs about the future of Russians in Latvia. The author analyses possibilities of emigration, assimilation or formation of the new Russian diaspora in Latvia. According to Snitnikovs, majority of Latvian Russians evaluates the possibility of emigrating from Latvia as negative, and that the big numbers of Russians living in Latvia (approximately 700, 000 people) as well as extended usage of the Russian language among other Latvian ethnic groups makes possibility of their assimilation unlikely. Aleksejs Snitnikovs concludes that most likely Russians in Latvia will form a new, somehow different cultural identity.

Vesti Segodnya informs about the internet portal, created by the European Commission, which provides information on minority rights issues.

Latvijas Avize features a commentary on the Saeima decision to authorise incrimination of administrative charges against the deputies Andris Tolmacovs, Jakovs Pliners and Vladimirs Buzajevs.